Body harness fastening means



1964 E. w. .1. BASHAM ETAL 3,142,968

' BODY HARNESS FASTENING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 27, 1959 FIG. 3

1964 E. w.'.:. BASHAM ETAL 3,142,968

BODY HARNESS FASTENING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 27, 1959 Aug. 4, 1964 E. w. J. BASHAM ETAL BODY HARNESS FASTENING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 27. 1959 United States Patent 3,142,968 BODY HARNESS FASTENING MEANS Edgar W. J. Basham, Edward J. Gran-ex, Robert F. Hariand, and Dennis F. Maskell, all of Yeovil, Somerset, England, assignors to Normalair, Ltd, Yeovil, England, a corporation of Great Britain Filed Nov. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 855,620 Claims priority, application Great Britain Dec. 2, 1958 7 Claims. (Cl. 61-70) This invention relates to a body harness fastening means and more particularly to a device which permits the ready detachment of a body harness.

Body harnesses are used in a number of different fields such as, for example, in connection with parachutes for aviators, breathing apparatus for use under water, and apparatus used in mine rescue and fire fighting operations. It is essential in the use of such devices that means be provided for readily removing the harness. Specifically, in underwater operations, a breathing apparatus is connected to the body harness and a ballast device may be also attached. It is frequently desirable that the ballast device be removed while retaining the breathing apparatus but it is also true that upon occasion, it is desired to remove both the breathing apparatus and the ballast tank immediately, so that a quick ascent to the surface may be made. The present invention provides for all of these necessities.

According to the present invention, there is provided a casing including a back cover having a cam plate rotatably mounted thereon. This cam plate has a plurality of cam surfaces which are adapted to co-operate with spring fingers which are rigidly mounted on the back plate. There are openings in the peripheral wall of the casings and buckles may be passed through these openings and engaged with the spring fingers to lock the buckles in place. These buckles are associated with straps which pass over the shoulders, around the waist, and between the legs of the wearer. By a single movement of the cam plate, the spring fingers are lifted out of the engagement with the buckles so as to simultaneously release the buckles to permit ready removal of the body harness. In addition, apertures are provided in the front wall of the casing and projections on a ballast pouch pass through these openings. The projections are engaged on the interface of the casing by a cam plate which is rotatable by means of an arm secured to the cam plate. Thus, by rotation of the two cam plates, both the ballast pouch and thebody harness may be removed. By rotating the cam plate supporting the ballast pouch this equipment may be disconnected without releasing the oxygen breathing equipment secured to the body harness.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a fastening mechanism for a body harness which is readily releasable.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an underwater swimming apparatus having a body harness with breathing equipment with ballast weights mounted thereon with means for removing either the breathing apparatus or ballast Weights separately or together.

Other objects and many of the intended advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed specification in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view partly broken away showing the fastening means with the body harness in place,

FIG. 2 is a section view along the line II-II of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view along the line III-III of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view partly in section of the ballast pouch and,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a typical buckle associated with the harness releasing means and,

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of fastening means showing the ballast porch and ballast means therein.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings wherein like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, there is shown at FIG. 1 a back plate which is generally circular in form and has a peripheral flange 44 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Secured to this back plate 1 is a cover plate 25 and this cover plate has a flanged peripheral edge 27, FIG. 3, which co-operates with the flange on the back plate to form an enclosed casing. The cover plate 25 is retained on the backing plate 1 by means of spacers 2, FIG. 3, which spacers have a screw-fitted bore 46 therein to receive screws 3 and 26. It can be seen in FIG. 1 that this arrangement of spacers with screws to maintain the backing plate and cover plate in the proper positon are disposed at space points around the periphery of the casing.

The flange 44 on the backing plate 1 is cut away at a number of points around the periphery of the casing to provide apertures to receive the buckles 11 as shown in FIG. 2. The buckle members are provided with a recess 43 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5 and these buckles are connected with the straps passing around the body of the wearer to support the breathing equipment. As shown in FIG. 1, the buckles 4, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are connected with straps 7, 28, 29, 31, and 30, respectively. Straps 7 and 28 pass over the shoulders of the wearer while straps 29 and 31 pass around the waist. Strap 30 passes between the legs of the wearer and all of these straps may serve to support oxygen breathing equipment on the back. Strap 7 is permanently secured to the fastening device by means of a pin 5 which extends through the backing plate 1 into the buckle 4. The remaining buckles and straps are re leasable from the casing.

There is provided a spacer member 32 which is centrally rigidly secured to the backing plate by means of countersunk screw 14, FIG. 2. Supported on this spacer member 32 is a spider 33, having five arms thereon. Arm 18 as viewed in FIG. 1, is provided with a pin 6 on its outer end, which pin engages the backing plate to rigidly retain the spider in the position shown. The remaining arms of the spider have spring fingers at the outer ends as shown at 42 in FIG. 2 and these spring fingers engage the recesses 43 in the buckle members. Thus it can be seen that the spider serves to retain the buckles in the fastened position Within the casing.

Rotatably mounted on spacer pin 32 is a cam plate 12,

having cam surfaces 13 on the periphery thereof. The

cam plate has four of these surfaces for co-operation with the spring fingers on the spider 33, retaining buckles 8, 9, 10, and 11 in the fastened position. The cam plate 12 has an arm 15 secured thereto as by means of rivets 16 and by rotation of this arm 15 the cam surfaces 13 engage the spring fingers and force these spring fingers out of the recesses 43 in the buckle members, so as to simultaneously release all of the buckles.

Centrally mounted on the cover plate 25 is a spacer member 34 and rotatable on this spacer member is a cam plate 22 having operating arm 23 secured to by means of rivets 24. The peripheral surface of the cam plate 22 is shaped as shown in FIG. 1, and it can be seen that the portions 47 of this cam plate partially overlap apertures 40 in cover plate 25. In FIG. 4, there is shown a ballast pouch 35 which is provided with projections 36 on the interfacing thereof. These projections 36 have slots 38 therein and the projections are adapted to fit within the apertures 40 in the cover plate. By rotation of the cam plate 22 the portions 47 of this cam plate may be engaged or disengaged with the slots 38 to lock or release the balv3 last pouch on the body harness. The ballast pouch is provided with ballast 39.

It can thus be seen that there is provided a body harness fastening mechanism in which the buckles of the body harness are secured retained in position by engagement with spring fingers but may be simultaneously released by actuation of a single operating arm. Similarly, the ballast pouch may be securely retained on the cover of the harness fastening mechanism but by actuation of a second operating arm, the ballast pouch may be quickly removed.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A body harness fastener and releasing means for use with additional apparatus in combination with ballast Weight retaining and releasing means, comprising a back plate and a front plate forming a housing having a series of apertures disposed around the periphery thereof and adapted to receive a plurality of buckles, each buckle attached to a strap of said harness, a fixed spider plate within said housing having depending therefrom a series of radially disposed spring fingers, each finger arranged adjacent said apertures and actuated simultaneously by rotation of a first rotatable cam member disposed within said housing, holes provided in said front plate of said housing to receive projections provided with slots carried by a ballast pouch containing said ballast weights, said ballast pouch being retained or released by rotation of a second rotatable cam member disposed adjacent said front plate and adapted to engage said'slots of said projections in the retained position.

2. A body harness fastener and releasing means as claimed in claim 1 including means for rotating said second cam plate to a position out of engagement with slots of said projections thereby instantly releasing said ballast pouch from said housing.

3. A body harness fastener and releasing means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said buckles are provided with recesses therein adapted to receive said spring fingers when said buckles are in the retained position.

4. A body harness retaining and releasing means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said ballast pouch follows dimensionally the same general pattern as the housing of said harness retaining and releasing means.

5. A body harness fastener and releasing means for use with additional apparatus in combination with ballast weight retaining and releasing means, comprising a back plate and a front plate forming a housing having a series of apertures disposed around the periphery thereof and adapted to receive a plurality of buckles, each buckle attached to a strap of said harness, a fixed spider plate within said housing having depending therefrom a series of radially disposed spring fingers each finger arranged adjacent said apertures and actuated simultaneously by rotation of a first rotatable cam member disposed within said housing, holes provided in said front plate of said housing to receive projections provided with slots carried by a pouch being retained or released by rotation of a second rotatable cam member disposed adjacent said front plate and adapted to engage said slots of said projections in the retained position, said first and second cam members may be manually rotated simultaneously by levers attached to each cam member, thereby simultaneously releasing said harness and said ballast pouch from said housing.

6. A body harness fastener and releasing means for use with additional apparatus in combination with ballast weight retaining and releasing means, comprising a back plate and a front plate forming a housing having a series of apertures disposed around the periphery thereof and adapted to receive a plurality of buckles, each buckle attached to a strap of said harness, a fixed spider plate Within said housing having depending therefrom a series of radially disposed spring fingers each finger arranged adjacent said apertures and actuated simultaneously by rotation of a first cam member disposed within said housing, holes provided in said front plate of said housing to receive projections provided with slots carried by a ballast pouch containing said ballast Weight, said ballast pouch being retained or released by rotation of a second rotatable cam member disposed adjacent said front plate and adapted to engage said slots of said projections in the retained position, said first and second cam members may be manually rotated independently of each other by levers attached to each cam member, thereby releasing said harness and said ballast pouch from said housing independently of each other.

7. A body harness fastener and releasing means for use with additional apparatus in combination With ballast Weight retaining and releasing means, comprising a back plate and a front plate forming a housing having a series of apertures disposed around the periphery thereof and adapted to receive a plurality of buckles, each buckle attached to a strap of said harness, a fixed spider plate within said housing having depending therefrom a series of radially disposed spring fingers each finger arranged adjacent said apertures and actuated simultaneously by rotation of a first rotatable cam member disposed within said housing, holes provided in said front plate of said housing to receive projections provided with slots carried by a ballast pouch containing said ballast weights, said ballast pouch being retained or released by rotation of a second rotatable cam member disposed adjacent said front plate and adapted to engage said slots of said projections in the retained position, said first and second cam members ballast pouch containing said ballast weights, said ballast and said fixed spider plate being centrally positioned within said housing of said harness retaining and releasing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,051,044 Hoifman Aug. 18, 1936 2,899,732 Cushman Aug. 18, 1959 2,921,353 Cushman Jan. 19, 1960 2,989,274 Moran June 20, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 690,435 Great Britain Apr. 22, 1953 

1. A BODY HARNESS FASTENER AND RELEASING MEANS FOR USE WITH ADDITIONAL APPARATUS IN COMBINATION WITH BALLAST WEIGHT RETAINING AND RELEASING MEANS, COMPRISING A BACK PLATE AND A FRONT PLATE FORMING A HOUSING HAVING A SERIES OF APERTURES DISPOSED AROUND THE PERIPHERY THEREOF AND ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PLURALITY OF BUCKLES, EACH BUCKLE ATTACHED TO A STRAP OF SAID HARNESS, A FIXED SPIDER PLATE WITHIN SAID HOUSING HAVING DEPENDING THEREFROM A SERIES OF RADIALLY DISPOSED SPRING FINGERS, EACH FINGER ARRANGED ADJACENT SAID APERTURES AND ACTUATED SIMULTANEOUSLY BY ROTATION OF A FIRST ROTATABLE CAM MEMBER DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING, HOLES PROVIDED IN SAID FRONT PLATE OF SAID HOUSING TO RECEIVE PROJECTIONS PROVIDED WITH SLOTS OF SAID HOUSING TO RECEIVE PROJECTIONS PROVIDED WITH SLOTS CARRIED BY A BALLAST POUCH CONTAINING SAID BALLAST WEIGHTS, SAID SECOND ROTATABLE CAM MEMBER DISPOSED ADJACENT SAID FRONT PLATE AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID SLOTS OF SAID PROJECTIONS IN THE RETAINED POSITION. 